Sally Mauro Elementary in line for a pre-school

Bruin Point, Wellington and Creekview Elementaries in Carbon School District all have pre-schools in them, so why doesn't Sally Mauro Elementary in Helper have a similar program?

That question has been asked for sometime in the confines of Carbon County and now the reality might be that one will be set up as early as next fall.

That was the word at the Carbon School District Board of Education regular meeting last Thursday.

According to officials the biggest problem has been a space in which to hold such a program. Sally Mauro has been full and no rooms were available.

"When the sixth graders go to the middle school next year, Mr. (Ryan) Maughn (the principal) reports that his school will have room for a program," Special Programs Director Robert Cox told the board on Wednesday evening.

Across the district pre-schools have been very popular, and sessions are full, often with waiting lists for students to get in. Wellington's pre-school handles students not only from that schools area, but also from the Castle Heights Elementary boundaries because, even more so than Sally Mauro, the school is jam packed with K-6 students.

Another changes is coming to the Helper-Spring Glen (Sally Mauro's attendence boundaries) area as as well. A private pre-school that has been open for years is closing with the owners retirement. That will put even more pressure on the area to get a pre-school in place.

Beverly Martinez, who heads up the pre-schools in the district, said that there is money available to form the new pre-school at Sally Mauro. She said that the classes in the pre-school will be held to around 12 students each.

The sessions would probably be similar to what is being presently held in other schools, with two four year old sessions held Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and two three year old sessions held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Cox pointed out that in addition there are a number of students from the Sally Mauro attendance area that are going to the Castle Valley Center pre-school as well.

"They could come over to this program at Sally Mauro," he said. "We are pretty much mandated to get them into the least restrictive environment."

That means some children with special needs would be attending the new pre-school.

The discussion on pre-schools also brought up the fact that next year all schools will have a totally free breakfast program. Over the years it has been determined that kids that don't eat breakfast don't achieve as well as those that do. While breakfast has been served for sometime time in schools it did costs some students while others fell under free or reduced prices. Next year everyone who attends can eat breakfast for free. This breakfast program will also extend beyond the elementary schools and into the middle schools and high schools as well.